Genomics of the semi-aquatic bugs (Heteroptera; Gerromorpha): recent advances toward establishing a model lineage for
David Armisén1, Abderrahman Khila1
1Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46, allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France.
Abstract:
Gerromorpha, also known as semi-aquatic bugs, present the striking capability to walk on water surface, which has long attracted the interest of many scientists. Yet our understanding of the mechanisms associated with their adaptation and diversification within this new habitat remain largely unknown. In this review we discuss how new transcriptomic and genomic resources have contributed to establish the Gerromorpha as an important lineage to study phenotypic evolution. In particular we outline the impact of recent comparative transcriptomic analyses and first published genomes to advance our understanding of genomic basis of adaptations to water surface locomotion and sexual dimorphism.
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